12 Washington State High School Students Suspended for Public Prayer Group

By Gudrun Schultz

VANCOUVER, Washington, March 6, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A number of students who formed an interdenominational prayer group at a Washington state high school were expelled by the administration last week over their refusal to hold a morning prayer session in a closed room, The Columbian reported March 2.

Twelve students at Heritage High School in Vancouver, WA, were suspended last Friday after continuing to meet for morning prayer in the commons area of the school, despite a faculty order that they stop causing physical "disruption" to student traffic with public prayer.

I am sure they will receive the same treatment from the media that the Imams received after attempting to "pray in public" on the airline... while talking about Osama bin Laden, moving into the "9/11 formation" and bashing Bush.

the principal continued, "however next week is "tolerance week" and we fully expect each student to dress as muslims and attendance at the "islam is a religion of peace" seminar is required. all students will be required to take muslim names and a study of the koran will be added to the first period "introduction to home economics" class..(do I even need a sarc/ tag??)

6
posted on 03/07/2007 7:52:55 AM PST
by GeorgiaDawg32
(Never argue with an idiot..they'll bring you down to their level, then beat you with experience..)

I think they should have accepted the private room if their prayer was disrupting student traffic flow. Would those who support this support Muslim prayer rugs in the commons area too? I don't hold to the notion that any religious group should have the right to disrupt the normal operations of a secular organization, including the schools. This sounds like the kids were trying to be confrontational, or in-your-face about their prayer. My kids prayed with fellow students before high school too, but at their church an hour before school started. Were they truly seeking God's blessings or were they trying to make a political statement?

"Let's be careful here, and make sure that the right thing is being argued"

...I would usually agree with your statement. However, the fact remains that there is and has been a double standard in regard to Christians vs Muslims. Several have already commented on what the treatment would be if these were Muslims chanting and praying. If so, this would be a non story. Instead, it's a group of Christians, and as we all know, it's easy to bash and push around a group of Christians. It's the "progressive" thing to do. I encourage all freepers to e-mail the principal with their thoughts.

Let's be careful here, and make sure that the right thing is being argued. Sounds to me from the story that the problem is that they're blocking traffic in a high-traffic area. If that's all this is, they should be more reasonable.

But going off half-cocked is so much more fun!

An assistant superintendent at the school said the students were given suspensions for refusing to obey a faculty directive not to block traffic in the public area.

"No one gets suspended because they pray. This is a story of some kids who chose to defy a legitimate request by administrators to not disrupt other students," Bill Bentley said. Administrators had offered a classroom for the students' use, to ensure other students were not offended and the group did not obstruct traffic.

Aaaaaah the redundancy. I keep shouting from the rooftops that if people love their children they will teach them themselves and put an end to public funded education. Until this concept is adopted and becomes a reality I will no longer be surprised by the leftist, anti-American, anti-Christian, bureaucratic progressives in the public school system running roughshod over your children.

14
posted on 03/07/2007 8:00:17 AM PST
by EndWelfareToday
(Live free and keep what you earn. - Tancredo or Hunter)

You forgot that all day long the school shall be under Muslim law and any girl that is alone with a boy for any amount of time will be sentenced to 90 lashes.

I mean, if they are going to be diverse, they have to follow the culture exactly. Am I right? No learning for the girls that day and if any girl shows her belly with a short shirt she is to be jailed indefinitely.

15
posted on 03/07/2007 8:00:43 AM PST
by HOTTIEBOY
(HUNTER: "I don't have to hire a consultant to develop a conservative image, I am a conservative.")

...to ensure other students were not offended and the group did not obstruct traffic.

It's the latter part that I'd have no problem with. But the former is a problem. If they're merely ~visible~ to other students, well, too bad. There shouldn't be a problem of them merely being in a public place, unless their little drum circle is in the middle of traffic.

It sounds like this group is putting themselves right in the middle of things, though. They went fishing for a confrontation and got one. My sympathy factor is low, so far.

I don't like the way Christians are singled out any more than anyone else, but they cannot form a prayer group in the hallway of a public school. They just can't do it. They were not asked to stop. They were asked to take it to a designated area and to clear the hallway.

28
posted on 03/07/2007 8:10:43 AM PST
by HOTTIEBOY
(HUNTER: "I don't have to hire a consultant to develop a conservative image, I am a conservative.")

Sounds to me from the story that the problem is that they're blocking traffic in a high-traffic area. If that's all this is, they should be more reasonable.

The 'commons' area from another report was the school cafeteria. Bottom line is that the school had no right to prohibit this activity or denying the requested organization and meeting of a prayer club during non-school times. This has been well established through court proceedings over the past several years.

30
posted on 03/07/2007 8:14:12 AM PST
by Godzilla
(Got Jesus? Its hell with out Him.)

Come on everyone, this country was founded on Christianity, and we have the freedom on religion and the free exercise thereof. The muslims can do their praying anywhere they want. To a true conservative, what in the world do we have to argue about? This is why our country and government is in such a mess, so many are afraid to stand up for what they believe. Caving at every liberal wish. If God is in your life and you want to pray at a restaurant or school, or on the street, you should not be punished for it. Some of you better go back and read you "Bill of Rights".

32
posted on 03/07/2007 8:15:46 AM PST
by moneypenny
(if your for the UN, you are UNAmerican)

Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

39
posted on 03/07/2007 8:25:08 AM PST
by moneypenny
(if your for the UN, you are UNAmerican)

That, and I don't think it helped matters for Megan to refer to students who complained as 'pagans.' I read the whole piece and evidently a prayer group that met on the sidewalk in front of the school was okay as they weren't on school property - maybe it's an easement...?

Or the ski club, or the chess club... heck, lets have all the clubs meet in the middle of the commons and try to out-shout each other.

I think it'd be simpler if we just had kids going to school to go to class and not make it a springboard to every hobby or interest people might have, but the offer of using classrooms, not the commons, for group gatherings seems a reasonable one.

Let's not Freep. These students were offered a room to pray in but that wasn't enough for them. They had to disrupt traffic and disturb others, all in the name of prayer. If all they wanted to do was pray, they clearly could have used the room that was offered. But no, they obviously wanted to proselytize by this public prayer spectacle they were offering up. What was it that Jesus said about those who pray in public?

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